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Carrier aircraft irritate already unhappy Ginowan residents

Date Posted: 2005-09-26

A pair of US Navy jet fighters swooped over Ginowan City, engines roaring as they landed at Futenma Marine Corps Air Station.

Residents were angry at the noise made by the two FA-18 fighters based on the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk. It was the first time the FA-18’s had ever landed at Futenma, and the noise generated was enough to make local residents say they never want them to return. “I was angry,” said one. “I want everyone know the noise problem, and make it stop,” said another.

The fighter aircraft were visiting Kadena on a training and orientation mission. They made the afternoon stop at Futenma during the holiday weekend, remaining a brief period of time. The flight over the Kakazu District prompted Mayor Yoichi Iha to again lash out at American authorities for being insensitive to his city’s residents. Thirteen months ago a Marine Corps heavy lift helicopter crashed just outside Futenma, onto the campus of Okinawa International University.

The Super Hornets are an extremely loud aircraft, say aviation specialists. The deafening noise generated by the powerful engine is enough to rattle and shake windows. They say complaints against the Navy’s premier aircraft often generates complaints even in the United States.